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TAK Welcomes new Tourism Minister

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The new Minister of the Ministry of Information, Communication, Transport and Tourism Development (MICTTD) Hon Tekeeua Tarati was officially welcomed by Tourism Authority of Kiribati on 27 July 2020 during his visit to their office in Takoronga.

The visit gave TAK an opportunity to brief the Honourable Minister on the current status of tourism in Kiribati, the Covid-19 impact assessment and the Authority’s plans on resetting the industry.

In his remarks, Minister Tekeeua stressed on the important need for TAK to work closely with government and the private sector to strengthen tourism in Kiribati.

TAK participates in GEF7 project funding meeting

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The Tourism Authority of Kiribati (TAK) participated in a project funding brief on Tuesday 28 July at the Office of the President (OB) in Bairiki for the Global Environment Facility’s GEF7 set to be implemented from 2023- 2027.

The meeting was coordinated by the Environment Conservation Division (ECD) of the Ministry of Lands and Agricultural Development (MELAD) and was chaired by the OB Deputy Secretary.

GEF7 calls for the formulation of proposed projects ideas that address ‘Kiribati Protected Areas for Food Security, Island Ecosystems and Biodiversity’ from Ministries and government departments that are part of the Kiribati National Experts Group (KNEG)and have an interest in these 3 thematic areas.

GEF7 recognises the potential for of ecotourism in atoll islands and TAK will use this opportunity to seek support for development in agritourism, ecotourism and cultural tourism in island communities of Kiribati.

Kiribati Celebrates 41 Years of Independence

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Kiribati marked 41 years of independence from Great Britain on 13 July 2020.

For thousands of I-Kiribati (Gilbertese), celebrating Independence Day comes with certain ceremonies and traditions. Combined church service, cultural celebration, sports competition, family reunions and a marching parade are some of the most popular ways the Kiribati people mark the nation’s independence.

This year, cultural celebration included a competition on different Kiribati local dances, canoe, and a local wrestling. Other sports included, basketball, volleyball, and football (soccer). The Miss Kiribati Pageant is also another highlight of national day celebration.

The 2020 independence celebration concluded with an official marching parade in the Betio Sport complex by schools, private businesses, communities and the police.

The popular ANZ MIC competition and ATHKL(Vodafone) singing competition however did not take place this year due to covid-19 pandemic precautionary measures by these respective organizations

Kiritimati opens 2nd Medical Clinic

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Kiritimati Island opened its 2nd medical clinic at Banana Village on Friday 17th 2020. This was part of the government project, built to accommodate an increase in population in Banana due to the newly relocated residents.

Banana is located 25km away (approximately 1-hour drive) from the main hospital.  with a growing population, and government sees the need to build another medical clinic to lessen the burden of having to travel long distances to receive medical attention. The clinic is also conveniently located next to Cassidy International airport and close to recreational sites (bird-watching and game fishing grounds.)

The official opening event was attended by the Honorable Minister Mikarite Temari and Mrs Faioa Temari along with the Heads of Departments of the Ministry of Lines, Phoenix Island Development.

The Tourism Authority of Kiribati welcomes this new development in Kiritimati as it believes that it will contribute to making the island tourism ready once international flights resume.

Kiritimati Mini- Trade show

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Kiritimati Mini Trade Show is a new program included in this year’s independence celebration in Kiritimati Island, organized by the Ministry of Commerce, Industry & Cooperation branch in Kiritimati, and supported by the Ministry of Line and Phoenix Islands Development and the Tourism Authority of Kiribati in Kiritimati.

The event was held at the Mini Stadium in Ronton on Friday 10th July 2020 with more than ten vendors participating in selling of their different carved handicrafts, necklaces and bracelets made from shells, local hats, Mauri wear clothes just to name a few. Local produce such as vegetables, plants and fruits were also sold during the trade show. The event also includes a competition of different types of local meal courses provided.

In his opening remarks, Honorable Minister Mikarite Temari relay the importance of culture and how maintaining our traditional knowledge and skills will benefit all of us, socially, culturally and economically and for the future development of tourism in Kiritimati and Kiribati nation at large. He added that the government is supporting this initiative since it is part of the government pillar in its KV20 priorities on tourism development through cultural sustainability.

Cultural Rehabilitation and Ecotourism Development in Maiana

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The Tourism Authority of Kiribati undertook a cultural rehabilitation program and ecotourism development consultation on the island of Maiana from 14 to 28 June 2020.

On the first week, TAK teamed up with a Cultural Museum Division (CMD) team during their village consultations.   These consultations aimed at increasing awareness on the significance of maintaining cultural heritage and planting of resilient local food crops to enhance their food security and maintain traditional cuisine and to sustain local knowledge and practices in response to the adverse impacts of climate change.

TAK was involved in the cultural rehabilitation consultations with village elders (unimwane). This was the first ever joint Culture and Tourism mission to help restore and rehabilitate site of cultural significance for tourism purposes as well and for future generations to enjoy. The team had the opportunity to discuss with village decision makers ways in which these important sites were to be preserved or beautified.  This joint task was as extension of work done in Abemama and Nonouti.

Whilst in Maiana, the TAK team seized the opportunity to expand its awareness on the importance of Ecotourism and its linkages to cultural heritage, agritourism and other tourism related businesses development. TAK consulted with different villages and their communities to identify potential eco-tourism businesses and conduct SWOT analysis for each village.

The program culminated with a one- day training workshop on how to develop ecotourism packages and tourism itinerary development and planning.

The TAK team is expects to revisit to Maiana to work with communities who have shown interest to commence their eco-tourism business initiatives and to continue its engagement with CMD on beautification of Maiana cultural sites. These activities are to augment strategies against the instabilities of climate change.

This activity was supported by the LDCF-1 Project, funded by the Global Environment Facility and implemented under the Environment and Conservation Division with the support of the United Nations Development Programme.

 TAK participates in Airport Public Health Safety Measures meeting

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The Tourism Authority of Kiribati (TAK) joined the Airport Kiribati Authority in its first round of stakeholder’s consultations to discuss the Airports Council International’s (ACI) guidance on public health safety measures for Bonriki International Airport.

The guidance provided by ACI covers recommended measures for the appropriate handling of domestic and international flights during the Covid-19 pandemic. These measures focus on the health and welfare of travelers, staffs and the public with the aim to alleviate opportunities for the spread of Covid-19.

Procedures discussed included disembarking and arrival, health and security screening, baggage claim, customs and quarantine clearance and domestic transfer points.

The meeting was also attended by representatives from the Department of Public Health of the Ministry of Health and Medical Services, Immigration Department, Customs and Quarantine, private sector operators and Air Kiribati.

TAK recognizes important need for Kiribati to maintain its Covid-19 free destination status and will continue to actively engage in programs developed to promote health security and safety.

 

 

TAK preserves WWll relics

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Visitors to Tarawa can enjoy memorable battlefield tourism experiences when international flight resumes following the installation of awareness sign boards at the World War ll (WWII) Relics area at Takoronga point.

The ‘no littering & dumping; no open defecation; no camping; and no alcohol drinking’ sign boards aim to encourage visitors and locals to appreciate and preserve relics and sites at Takoronga which are of historical significance to Kiribati.

Tarawa was the forefront of the Allied forces Pacific campaign during WWII, and it is where the American forces invaded the then Japanese controlled islet of Betio. Known as the Battle of Tarawa, the invasion of Betio, it was one of the bloodiest battles of the Pacific in WWII. It was extremely costly in human lives and it was the first initial stage of a great amphibious landing against heavily fortified position on the tiny islet of Betio. The Battle of Tarawa was considered a huge mistake by the U.S Military but they soon realized and learnt that it was a valuable lesson that would help them in their strategic battle plans as they fought their way across the Pacific towards Japan.

The installation of the signage at Takoronga follows the extensive clean-up of the same site undertaken by the Takoronga community in early June 2020 and TAK will complete this with the installation of information kiosks to be mounted at the site in August 2020.

The Government of Kiribati in December 2019 endorsed that TAK take ownership and guardianship of all WWll relics.

Q1 2020 Tourism Industry Review Report Released

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The Q1 2020 Tourism Industry report has been released in June for the benefit of our stakeholders.

For the first time, Outbound and domestic tourism has been analysed and the basic data is presented in the report.

Furthermore, the report contains international visitor arrival data as well as justifications for the changes in numbers. It also provides analysis by region, namely Tarawa and Kiritimati.

Visitor arrivals for this period were 1409, a drop of 17% compared to the same period last year. Both regions saw drops in their visitor numbers with Kiritimati hardest hit with only 384 arrivals between January and March this year, a massive drop of 55% compared to Q1 2019.

Domestically, a total of 6290 domestic flights were recorded with the most visited island being Abemama.

Outbound travel saw a total of 3049 I-Kiribati travelling overseas and most of this travel was for education purposes.

The report was prepared by the Research & Statistics Division of the TAK.

Rate and Revenue Management Virtual Workshop for Tourism Operators

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The Tourism Authority of Kiribati conducted a Virtual Workshop for Tourism Operators on Rate and Revenue Management at the Vodafone Boardroom today, the 30th June 2020.

The virtual workshop was facilitated by Mr. Warwick McCormark – Founder and International Director at Learn, Fast Centre Auckland, New Zealand.

The workshop covered rate and revenue, with emphasis on how local operators can creatively develop alternative products and pricing in the current business environment. It also highlighted the human resource management challenges that COVID-19 presents and how businesses can handle this in a more humane and financially viable manner.

Participants were from South Tarawa, North Tarawa and Abaiang whilst the Ministry of Internal Affairs represented the islands council accommodation in the outer islands.

The workshop is part of TAK’s strategy to strengthen local capacity during this quiet business period.

The Tourism Authority of Kiribati is responsible for working with our partners to encourage travelers to come to Kiribati and spend time exploring our country.

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